Speaking Out : Just a handful, about 10,000 people, of Sikhs in Canada are hard-line Khalistanis, making Khalistan a business – Sanjay Verma, Former India High Commissioner To Canada

Picture : ANI / X

Former India High commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma has said Canada’s move to declare him a “person of interest” in the murder case of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a “kind of back-stabbing”. He also accused Canada of providing refuge to Khalistan terrorists and extremists.

The Justin Trudeau government’s decision triggered a massive diplomatic row, with India withdrawing its senior diplomats, including envoy Verma. New Delhi also expelled six Canadian diplomats.

“Declaring me a ‘person of interest’ by Canada came as a shock, a kind of back-stabbing,” he told PTI in an interview.

He described Canada’s shocking move as the most unprofessional approach to bilateral relations. “This is the pits,” he added.

“Khalistani terrorists, extremists found refuge in Canada due to the lenient Canadian legal system,” he said,

Envoy Verma said Khalistanis in Canada were involved in human trafficking, gun running and extortion

“Just a handful, about 10,000 people, of Sikhs in Canada are hard-line Khalistanis, making Khalistan a business,” he said.

Verma recalled how he was called by the Canadian government and asked to surrender his diplomatic immunity.

Canada has alleged that Indian agents were behind Nijjar’s murder in 2023. New Delhi has called the allegations absurd and motivated.